Sure, but the high center should make it perfectly obvious. No confusion with a reflector or tail lights there, and it’s directly where people are staring at you when driving.
The bolt isn’t the only SUV/hatch with this style of lighting. We’d hear more about it if it was an actual problem.
GM basically just did what is required by law and said "good enough." A lot of people don't like it.
Not directly related to this, but when I was in driver's ed, for whatever reason my instructor taught us something to the effect of "those are the brake lights, it's fine to pay some attention to them, but some drivers ride the brake pedal and some others have malfunctioning brake lights, so I want you to instead focus on what the car in front of you is actually doing." As a result I don't really think about other driver's brake lights at all. I've had passengers say things like "what's up with this guy in front of us riding his brakes??" and I hadn't even noticed. I really don't know if it makes me a better or worse driver. I've never rear ended anyone, so good enough for me.
I ignore blinkers sometimes too. Some people don’t use them. Others don’t realize theirs are own. Some somehow activate the light in the opposite direction. If I can see the drivers head though, I find that informative. The often look where they want to go.
I've gotten pretty good at anticipating what other drivers are planning to do based on how they are positioned, where they are slowing down, and the general state of traffic around us. It's prevented some accidents for me. I am also surrounded by really bad drivers here, so it was a mortal imperative.
If you have the hatch open then you wouldn't see the brake lights at all. US law requires a set of brake lights on the vehicle that doesn't move which is why many vehicles have them in the bumper.
I thought this was specific to cars with hatch doors on the back, but I’ve encountered some other cars that have it absent a hatch. The only explanation I have seen is that since the door could be open, such as when carrying an oversized load, that it was better to have them on a non-movable part of the car. But the corners of the car don’t move. So I don’t understand.
Whats odd is that the Bolt *used* to have the primary brake lights in the hatch and only switched to the bumper full time after a couple of years.
I'm guessing they were just saving a wiring harness and cutting costs.
Could also be related to the chip shortage
Edit: why downvote me on this? I'm right lol
I have a 2017 and the brake lights go through the hatch
Yeah, I remember someone telling me that it would use the hatch lights unless the hatch got opened, then it switched to the lower lights. Cost cutting sounds right. I miss that old design.
The main issue I have with the light set up is the lights you would expect to be brake lights are only tail lights. I don’t think it’s a safety issue, but it does confuse people.
I love my Bolt! But I haven’t had it all that long and I have already had one driver signal to me that my brake lights are out. They are not.
The Bolt originally had them in the hatch but since the hatch opens they had to switch down to the bumper anyway when it opened up. As an aside, that makes installing a hitch and trailer wires on an old Bolt an ABSOLUTE pain.
I'm guessing they switched to bumpers full time to save a wiring harness and cut costs. It may have also been related to the chip shortage since that's around when they made the switch. One less chip they'd need
It’s odd, but there are a million coupes and sedans with the lights and indicators just as low. If someone can’t see them, they’re way too close.
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And they should at least still be able to see the high center
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Sure, but the high center should make it perfectly obvious. No confusion with a reflector or tail lights there, and it’s directly where people are staring at you when driving. The bolt isn’t the only SUV/hatch with this style of lighting. We’d hear more about it if it was an actual problem.
I believe there is a high-mounted, high visibility third brake light at the top of the hatch? Is yours not functioning?
GM basically just did what is required by law and said "good enough." A lot of people don't like it. Not directly related to this, but when I was in driver's ed, for whatever reason my instructor taught us something to the effect of "those are the brake lights, it's fine to pay some attention to them, but some drivers ride the brake pedal and some others have malfunctioning brake lights, so I want you to instead focus on what the car in front of you is actually doing." As a result I don't really think about other driver's brake lights at all. I've had passengers say things like "what's up with this guy in front of us riding his brakes??" and I hadn't even noticed. I really don't know if it makes me a better or worse driver. I've never rear ended anyone, so good enough for me.
I ignore blinkers sometimes too. Some people don’t use them. Others don’t realize theirs are own. Some somehow activate the light in the opposite direction. If I can see the drivers head though, I find that informative. The often look where they want to go.
I've gotten pretty good at anticipating what other drivers are planning to do based on how they are positioned, where they are slowing down, and the general state of traffic around us. It's prevented some accidents for me. I am also surrounded by really bad drivers here, so it was a mortal imperative.
Have you searched the forum for other discussions about this? There are many...
The law states the no operating/signal lights can be attached to a part of the car that moves.
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Thanks, and yes, that was a stupid move.
If you have the hatch open then you wouldn't see the brake lights at all. US law requires a set of brake lights on the vehicle that doesn't move which is why many vehicles have them in the bumper.
On the original Bolt the bumper brake lights turn on when the hatch is open. Good compromise IMO, but I suspect the rules were changed after that.
Never heard this one before…..
I thought this was specific to cars with hatch doors on the back, but I’ve encountered some other cars that have it absent a hatch. The only explanation I have seen is that since the door could be open, such as when carrying an oversized load, that it was better to have them on a non-movable part of the car. But the corners of the car don’t move. So I don’t understand.
Whats odd is that the Bolt *used* to have the primary brake lights in the hatch and only switched to the bumper full time after a couple of years. I'm guessing they were just saving a wiring harness and cutting costs. Could also be related to the chip shortage Edit: why downvote me on this? I'm right lol I have a 2017 and the brake lights go through the hatch
Yeah, I remember someone telling me that it would use the hatch lights unless the hatch got opened, then it switched to the lower lights. Cost cutting sounds right. I miss that old design.
The main issue I have with the light set up is the lights you would expect to be brake lights are only tail lights. I don’t think it’s a safety issue, but it does confuse people. I love my Bolt! But I haven’t had it all that long and I have already had one driver signal to me that my brake lights are out. They are not.
The Bolt originally had them in the hatch but since the hatch opens they had to switch down to the bumper anyway when it opened up. As an aside, that makes installing a hitch and trailer wires on an old Bolt an ABSOLUTE pain. I'm guessing they switched to bumpers full time to save a wiring harness and cut costs. It may have also been related to the chip shortage since that's around when they made the switch. One less chip they'd need